End-gate for vehicles.



L. WILKEN 6: J. A. YOSTEN.

END GATE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 25. ms.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

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ENITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

LOUIS WILKEN AND JOSEPH A. YOSTEN, 0F COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA.

END-GATE FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed March 25, 1918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, LoUIs WILKEN and JosEPHA. YosTEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Columbus, in thecounty of Platte and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in End-Gates for Vehicles, and we do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to end gates for vehicles, and it relates moreparticularly to an improved form of gate fastener.

One object of this invention is to dispense with the usual cross rods,chains, etc., that connect the walls of vehicle bed;

Another object is to provide a device of this character which enablesthe end gate to prevent the walls of the vehicle bed from being pressedoutward by the load;

Another object is to provide a device of this character which preventswarping of the end gate;

Another object is to provide an eflicient fastening device which permitsthe end gate to be easilv removed from its seat;

Another object is to provide for preventing the end gate from workingupward in its seat;

Another object is to prevent splitting of the adjusting portions of thevehicle bed walls;

Another object is to provide a device of this character which providesan efficient locking member and also provides handles whereby the endgate may be raised when it is unlocked.

Another object is to providea device of this character which is strong,durable, convenient, thoroughly practical, and which may be manufacturedat a slight cost;

Other objects may become apparent to persons who read the followingdetails of description in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich Figure 1 is an elevation disclosing the rear end of a vehicle bodyor bed providedwith our improved end gate fasteners.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of our improved end gate fasteners appliedto the rear end of a vehicle bed, this view being observed at rightangles to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view along the line 33 of Fig. 1, showingthe end gate Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Oct. 15, 1918.

Serial No. 224,696.

fastener which is complemental to the one illustrated in Fig. 2.

Fig.4 is a top plan view of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 55 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a View illustrating a group of component elements of ourimproved end gate fastener. v

Referring to these drawings in detail, in which similar referencecharacters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views,the vehicle body or bed 7 is provided with the usual vertical side walls8 having pairs of strips or vertical guides 9 between which the end gate10 is normally seated.

The end gate may be of any usual or appropriate construction, and willnot be described in detail. At each end of the end gate 10 is securedone of our improved end gate fasteners, these end gate fasteners beingcomplemental to one another, so that the description of one will sufficefor both.

Each end gate fastener comprises an integral frame or bracket 11, aU-shaped guiding member 12, an apertured bar 13, a bolt or lookingmember 14, a lever 15 and the rivets or other securing means wherebythese parts are secured together and secured to the end. gate.

The frame 11 is formed integrally from a strip of sheet metal or alength of strap metal and comprises an apertured bar 16 and two U-shapedsupporting elements 17. The members 11, '12 and 13' are provided withalined apertures through which rivets orbolts 18 extend for securing.these three members together as a unitary frame structure; The bar 13and guide 1-2are provided with alined apertures 19 through which thebolt or looking member 14 is slidable. The bolt 14 has a key 20therethrough, and a spring 21 i coiled around the bolt H between the key20 and the bar13, so as to hold the bolt in its locking position. v

The bar 13 is provided with pairs of apertured ears 22, and between theears of each pair is mounted a roller or anti-friction element for apurpose presently described.

The lever 15 is provided with an aperture 23 through which the bolt 14or looking element extends, and a key 24: retains the bolt within theaperture 23 of the lever which is moved outward by means of its handle25.

bed.

One end of the lever 15 is provided with apertured ears 26, and theapertures of these ears register with the apertures of one pair of theears 22'and have a pivot 27 extended therethrough, so that the lever 15swings about the pivot 27 when the handle 25'is moved outward forunlocking the end gate.

The bar 16 is secured to the end gate by means of the bolts or rivets28, and as this bar extends across the grain of the wood of the endgate, the latter is thus prevented from splitting or warping.

A combined reinforcing member. and track 29 is secured in verticalposition on each wall 8, and extends over the top and under the bottomof the wall so as to prevent splitting of the latter at this portion ofthe bed. Each strip 29 is apertured at 30 for the reception of the innerend of the adjacent bolt 14:, thus cooperating with the latter inlooking the end gate. Moreover, each member 29 constitutes a track alongwhich the rollers 22 travel when the end gate is being raised orlowered. In this connection, it will be seenthat the U-shaped elements17 provide eilicient handles whereby the end gate may be raised when theload bears against the latter to such an extent that the handles 25 areless competent for effecting such raising of the end gate. Moreover bythe provision of these U-shaped elements, the anti-friction elements aresupported contiguous to the outer surfaces of the walls 8, and securethese walls against being pressed outward by the load in the Although wehave described this embodiment of our invention very minutely, it is tobe understood that our invention is not limited to these exact detailsof construction and arrangement of parts, but that we are entitled tomake such minor change as do not constitute a departure from theinventive idea disclosed in the foregoing descrip tion and appendedclaims.

What we claim as our invention is:

g 1. In combination with a wagon-box or body of the ordinaryconstruction, in which pairs of vertical guides are provided on theinner surfaces of the side walls of the box, and a gate for closing thespace between said side walls; a bracket for each of the two ends of thegate, and a locking element for each of these brackets, each of saidbrackets being secured to said gate and comprising an element adapted toextend around Copies of this patent may be obtained for an end of one ofsaid side walls in such relation as to limitthe separation of saidwalls, the locking elements combining with said brackets for releasablylocking said gate in a predetermined position between said walls.

2. Aliend gate fastening device comprisa pair of U-shaped supportingelements, an ap'ertured bar united with corresponding ends of saidU-shaped supporting elements, means for securing the other ends of saidU-shaped elements to an end gate, an apertured guiding member carried bysaid bar, a locking element slidably mounted in the apertures of saidbar and guide, and means for yieldingly holding said locking element inits locking position when attached to an end gate during use of thelatter.

3. An end gate fastening device comprising a pair of U-shaped supportingelements, an apertured bar united with corresponding ends of saidU-shaped supporting elements, means for securing the other ends of saidU-shaped. supporting elements to an end gate, an apertured guidingmember carried by said bar, a locking element slidably mounted in theapertures of said bar and guiding member, a spring for moving saidlocking element in one direction, and a lever for moving said lockingelement in the opposite direction.

I 4. The combination with a pair of spaced, vertical walls and a gatefor closing the space therebetween', of a pair of frames each comprisinga pair of U-shaped supporting elements and a pair of apertured barsconnecting the ends of said U-shaped supporting elements, meansextending through the apertures of one of said bars of each frame forsecuring it-to the end gate in such a position that the other bar ofsaid pair is parallel with the adjacent vertical wall and spaced fromthe outer-surface of the latter, a track on the outer surface of eachwall, antifriction elements carried by said other bar of each of saidframes in position to roll along one of said tracks, and means carriedby each of said frames for detachably looking it to the adjacent one ofsaid tracks.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

' LOUIS WILKEN.

- JOSEPH A. YOSTEN.

Witnesses:

ADoLrH Lunns, V

Orro H. KRUMLAND.

five cents each, by addressingthe" Commissioner of IPatents,Vlfashington, D. G. o Y

